Diary of a Madman

Diary of a Madman Analysis

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Written by Aleksei Marchyn

In 1835 in St. Petersburg was release a stories collection of "Arabesque", where Gogol’s narrative "Shreds of Notes of a Madman" was published. Later Gogol changed the title of the work and included it in the "St. Petersburg Narratives".

Initially, Gogol was going to create a comedy play of the life of officials. This is indicated by surviving sketches. But then the writer has changed the plan and chose the form of a diary of a petty official Aksentije Ivanovich Poprishchin. Of all the events in the story we learn only from the records of this man.

The main character in forty-two years, but he still is not married. Poprischin has the rank of titular counselor, as well as other well-known character of Gogol - Akakiy Bashmachkin. His main duties consist in repairing feathers for the director of the department.

Poprischin is constantly in need of money and hopes to obtain from the treasurer a small amount on account of his salaries, he is ashamed of his old overcoat. Aksenty Ivanovich laments that he has no income like those officials in the provincial offices, where bribes are offer. The head of department, who is constantly making notes, irritates him as well.

Noble origin of Poprishchin is a matter of his pride. Aksenty Ivanovic believes that only nobles could write correctly, the others' writing is mostly mechanical: no commas, no points, no style. Initially Aksenty Ivanovich admires the director, and his love his his daughter Sophie brings a touch of lyrical into the diary. But fully confess surging feelings Poprischin cannot even himself.

Leisure of a typical minor official minimizes to lying on the couch, reading magazine "Northern Bee" and attending the theater. It would seem that in his behavior there is nothing strange. But the very entry of his diary gives a reason to doubt his sanity. Aksenty Ivanovic recently begins to hear and see things that no one sees and hears.

Leisure of a typical minor official minimizes to lying on the couch, reading magazine "Northern Bee" and attending the theater. It would seem that in his behavior there is nothing strange. But the very entry of his diary gives a reason to doubt his sanity. Aksenty Ivanovic recently begins to hear and see things that no one sees and hears.

Poprischin completely immersed in the world of his dreams, does not go to work anymore. He suddenly is interested in the problem with the Spanish throne, which cannot find the applicant. The unfortunate imagines himself a king of Spain and announces of this. Even sews himself royal robes. As a result, Poprishchin is placed in a psychiatric hospital, which he perceives in accordance with his sick imagination.

Interestingly, the experts praised the accuracy with which Gogol described the development of Poprishchin disease, although the author did not seek exact medical wording. Envy and wounded pride, maniacal desire to take in the world a high position lead the hero of the story to paranoia.

Paradoxically, the development of the disease expands Poprishchin’s consciousness, raises it to significant spiritual heights. Considering himself the King of Spain, the hero is a humane and just ruler. With a royal dignity and Christian patience he accepts anguish, that he endures in the hospital. Changing conceptions of space and time not only evidence of confusion, but also of a wise understanding of the transience of life, the primacy of the life laws.

Under the guise of delirium crazy the writer showed spiritual poverty and moral emptiness of bureaucratic environment. Many statements about prevailing there orders were quite bold in the first edition, that’s why seized by the censor. Rich bureaucratic language, physical description and behavior of employees of the Department are taken from personal experience life Gogol.

In this story a tragic and funny are so intertwined that they sometimes cannot be divided. "Diary of a Madman" is one of the most profound works of Gogol, in which in the lyric form the history of mental illness is revealed.